Local organization of spatial and shape information during working memory in the primate prefrontal cortex.

ABSTRACT

While the current understanding of sensory and motor cortical areas has been defined topographical maps across the surface of these areas, higher cortical areas, such as the prefrontal cortex, seem to lack an equivalent organization, with only limited evidence of functional clustering of neurons with similar stimulus properties. We sought to examine whether neurons that represent similar spatial and object information are clustered in the monkey prefrontal cortex and whether such an organization only emerges as a result of training. We analyzed neurophysiological recordings from male macaque monkeys before and after they were trained to perform cognitive tasks. Neurons with similar spatial or shape selectivity were more likely than chance to be encountered at short distances from each other. This pattern of organization was present even in naïve animals, prior to any cognitive training. Our results reveal that prefrontal microstructure automatically supports orderly representations of spatial and object information.